I'm going to try again to create a post here to track my theme development progress.

Last time I tried this someone posted their own theme which I thought was a bit naff to be honest, as nice as it may have been. So, please, create a post of your own for your themes and tweaks.

So, this is a blog, I guess. I suppose I could have created a proper block somewhere but why not here, where people who care about this kind of stuff may drop in for a chat about it. And I prefer forums anyway.

Simple Six?

Because what I am doing is going to be based on REAPER V6 and it is going to be very simple indeed, both graphically and layout wise. I use REAPER in a very simple way so I am going to leave out elements that I never use.

And where I am able, and until I get bored, I will be creating some new graphics. Simple graphics. Flat as a pancake... No gradients. Going to look awful, I know, but I am no graphics expert and I have only a basic knowledge of Gimp, my chosen graphics editor.

While I am here I would like to say that I now have massive respect to all who create a REAPER theme from the ground up. I spent much of yesterday designing and implementing a couple of very simple buttons. It must take weeks, if not months to come up with a new, fresh and pleasing design.

cheers

andy

Latest:

I have now uploaded this to Stash so, if you are just starting out and fancy digging into something less complex than the default themes then this could be for you.

I have started with the track view and it took a while just to get the Track ID side of things sorted, with much needed help from White Tie.

The following image shows four tracks. The last track, 200, is shown because I had to make sure that the Track ID size, with my chosen font size, didn't truncate the text. So providing I don't go above 999 tracks I will be okay.

Also, it shows the Track Label and some of the folder related buttons. I felt that it was important to get the folder stuff working before moving on to the rest of the Track panel.

So, here it is:-

Yes, very simple, very basic. Try not to laugh too hard!

Track 1 is a folder so you can see two buttons. The lower button, shaped like a folder, is what makes the track a folder and cycles through its three options depending on the tracks current folder state.

The square shaped button just above that is for cycling through the three different folder compact modes, normal, small and tiny. I am still debating whether I stack the vertically with the folder button or place it to the right of the folder button.

I have yet to develop any WALTER required to hide elements based on track height. That comes next.

As you can see in the image in the previous post, when a track within a folder is not compacted the button is a black square. This is supposed to represent the fact that the current compact status is not compacted at all.

The next option in the compact cycle is "small," so this is how the button looks during mouse over:-

You now see a slightly smaller grey rectangle with a dotted line above and below. It is supposed to indicate that that the next time the button is pressed you will switch to the next option in the cycle, "small."

When you click and hold the button (mouse down) the image changes to the same graphic but green:-

And if you let go you now get that same graphic but now in black, indicating that you are now in the "small" compact setting:-

The next compact is "tiny." The mouse over graphic now changes to an even smaller grey rectangle with the dotted line above and below:-

And the mouse down graphic:-

And when you let go of the mouse:-

The next option in the cycle is to go back to "not compacted" and the mouse over graphic goes back to the square, in grey:-

And the mouse down graphic:-

Which when you let go of the mouse returns to the original black square.

So, there you have it... All the things you have to think about for just one button. Amazing, and I wish I could say that about the graphics, but it would be fair to say that they are "functional" at best.

I may consider changing the grey mouse over graphic to white. I am not deliberately setting out to create an "accessible" theme but with all the recent criticisms regarding contrast are making me wonder if I should do something about that. Trouble is, I know nothing about visual impairments so it would not be possible to account for that until I do.

I am going to place them just before the track name, so I am going to try to move it right a little. We hace similar ideas

Haha! I was thinking the same thing just now, having altered the code to hide them when the track height was too small.

The code would be easier if those buttons were placed to the right of the track name but I agree that to the left of the track name would be better. So the location of the label would then need to be moved depending on the visibility of the folder and compact buttons... That would be interesting

I think I have to delete more original code it interferes which what I am trying to do.

Which part of the previous code have you deleted to build your tcp tracks from scratch?

I started with a "clean sheet" to begin with. I then pasted in the "global" section from V6. At some point in the future, once I understand what that stuff means, I will either leave it as it is or change it to suit my needs. I am guessing that some of those lines will not be required for my purposes.

The TCP code is stuff I have either typed in from scratch or copied from another theme. But when I copy from another theme there are always tweaks required so pretty much all that code ends up being mine, if you know what I mean.

This is my complete code as it stands right now. Note that I have changed the font section to suit what actual font name/style and size that is available to my theme.

Worth noting that, at this time, I am not bothering with indenting the code. I know that I should do but I am not sure yet which is the best method of doing this. When I used to code in AutoLISP the idea was that you indented each new bracketed section if you couldn't get it on a single line. But if you don't indent, the code still works.

I have decided to leave my folder and compact buttons where they are now. I realised that I never use them anyway because I prefer to drag and drop instead. So I could remove them altogether but I think I will keep them for now

If things are looking a bit minimal, buttons wise then that is because I have only added buttons/elements that I use when in the TCP.

From the top;

Master Track

I only ever have the Master Track visible when I am adding a tempo envelope. I therefore make the Trim button available.

I never mute or solo the Master Track but I have added the mute and solo buttons just for the looks really as it matches the button layout of the tracks below.

I suppose that I could switch the location of the mute/solo and trim button and then get rid of the mute/solo buttons in the Master Track.

Track 1

Track 1 is a folder. The button for compacting the tracks in this folder is visible as is the button to set the track/folder state.

The trim button reads "trim" and is black which represents that the automation mode is currently trim/read.

Track 2

Track 2 is a track in the Track 1 folder. Indent is just 10 pixels which I think is okay for my needs. It is the only track in this folder.

The trim button reads "read" and is green which represents that the automation mode is currently read.

There are two envelope tracks in use and visible. I have included a full selection of buttons even though I rarely bother with the MIDI learn or evelope modulation options. In the second envelope I have added some MIDI learn to show the button state, which is blue-ish.

Track 3

The trim button reads "touch" and is yellow which represents that the automation mode is currently touch.

There is an envelope track visible and a modulation mode has been enabled making the button green.

Track 4

Track 4 has been armed for recording. I'm not sure if there is enough of a difference in colour between the two states of the record arm button. But what I have made the track label turn red also, so I think it is obvious enough.

The trim button reads "latch" and is light purple (?) which represents that the automation mode is currently latch.

Track 5

Track 5 is a divider and is locked to the height shown and contains a track ID and label only.

Track 6

Track 6 has been armed for recording but in "disable (input monitoring only)" mode.

The trim button reads "prev" and is light blue (two shades) which represents that the automation mode is currently latch.

Track 6 is a "selected" track. I have opted at this time to use a lighter the shade of grey for the ID background and add a small red vertical bar (the default V6 theme uses a white vertical b ar). The main track panel remains unaltered. I may change my mind on this.

Track 200

This track was created just to check that the ID number wasn't truncated using the slightly larger font chosen.

Also, the trim button reads "write" and is red which represents that the automation mode is currently write.

And those graphics...

I wanted to see if I could create new graphics. As you can see I ain't no graphics expert. But they are mine

Round things are a pain. I should probably use a vector graphics package. I do have one but since getting a new desktop at the start of the year I have yet to install it, so I am doing everything in Gimp. And that is why everything is looking a bit "blocky." Trying to "get gud" at graphic design is going to take far too much time, on top of getting into WALTER, and I am giving myself a time limit in which to get this little project finished. So, blocky graphics it is.

Been slaving over a hot 'Puter making progress with the Mixer Control Panel.

I've created 19 new images using the Affinity vector graphics software. So much easier with this thing and I have even had a go at creating something a bit more "interesting." Not difficult looking at what I created for the TCP. As you will see, I have rounded off the corners of the rectangles.

I have also created an AutoCAD drawing in order to map out the Track Panel. I found that faffing around placing stuff willy nilly on the panel was not good. So I am now planning elements out instead.

So, here is how the MCP is looking at the moment:-

Main panel still empty...

Took me some time to work out what was happening with the folder buttons. A coding thing. And also coming up with something original.

I don't have the skills to get the MCP tracks that are in folders indented. I don't want to copy code from existing themes verbatim. I am trying as much as I can to create code that I understand.

At the top of the Mixer Panel I have gone for a similar layout to the R5 default theme.

That is fine, for the most part, but when it comes to the pink lines, something isn't exported correctly and for some of the buttons had to be edited in Gimp just to make sure that the pink lines were to the correct spec.

That will definitely be a settings thing, and my guess would be a colour space translation that you'd need to disable. It thinks you want 'oooh, a lovely pink that looks like this' and is adjusting it to your color space on export, wheras of course what you really want is 'this exact RGB color, please don't mess with it.'

Speaking as a very long term Adobe user, too set in my ways to make the change, I assure you that Afinity is the future and very much production ready. I'm seeing it in more and more professional environments, and a young graduate artworker I sometimes subcontract work to uses it exclusively and her work is unfailingly first class.

That will definitely be a settings thing, and my guess would be a colour space translation that you'd need to disable. It thinks you want 'oooh, a lovely pink that looks like this' and is adjusting it to your color space on export, wheras of course what you really want is 'this exact RGB color, please don't mess with it.'

Yeah, more than likely. I've not used Affinity that much and I'm generally going with the defaults. I need to suss that out but in the meantime it's easier to whack an image into Gimp to make sure those pink and yellow lines are to spec. Only takes another minute or so...

Quote:

Speaking as a very long term Adobe user, too set in my ways to make the change, I assure you that Afinity is the future and very much production ready. I'm seeing it in more and more professional environments, and a young graduate artworker I sometimes subcontract work to uses it exclusively and her work is unfailingly first class.

Ah, so you have heard of it then?

I only happened across it when I was trying to design custom decals for the racing game Gran Turismo. I needed something that would save files as SVG. I tried Inkscape but found it a bit limiting (to me anyway). So I searched for other vector graphics packages and found Affinity Designer.

Much too powerful for my basic needs but it is always handy having a vector graphics tool around

I think I'm done with the Mixer Control Panel for the time being. Here is how it is looking:-

I am sure there will be a few "shock! horror!" thoughts with regards to my Master Mixer panel haha

But, seriously, I am trying to do away with elements that I don't use and when it comes to the Master Mixer panel, I never use it to do anything but watch the meters. And even then, I often through Pro-L in the FX buss and monitor levels there instead.

So, no, I never adjust the final output levels here, or mess with pan or width or mute/solo. Never have, never will.

I say "almost" because I need to think of some better graphics for the different record modes. That said, I never do any auto-punching and what have you but I suppose it would be nice to finish the job off...

I am not sure I can be bothered following on to other elements like the MIDI Editor, Toolbar and what have you. So I am going to run with the images that came with V6 for that stuff. It has taken me many hours to get to this point, with much head scratching and loss of sleep.

I don't know how I would have managed without White Tie's help along the way.

Altogether there are 382 images, which includes two that I use for the Divider tracks.

Of those 382, when I check the modified date, I have modified 109 of them.

I should really just get on with a project using this theme now to make sure I haven't forgotten something... A missing button here and there.

But I am thinking that I should have a bash at creating a HD version. This theme was developed on my desktop which is 1080P.

I am hoping that I can simply upscale the Affinity files and then export the PNGs from there. I am hoping that the 32 images that have not been created in Affinity are simple background files that I have tweaked to suit.

I have tried the 1080P version on my HiDPI laptop and it doesn't look too bad, so I am going to try a few images to begin with to see what difference it makes.

I guess I just can't put this thing down... It is like an addiction and I may never make music again...

Anyway

Having been looking at my Mixer Control panel I decided that there were some things that I wasn't totally happy about but at the time couldn't be bother sussing out how to fix. So this morning I decided to remedy that.

This is how it was looking before this morning:-

I decided I didn't like the graphics for the Record Monitoring button, so I am hoping I have improved that. As well as changing the "speaker" image slightly I also made the button bigger and added a bit of text which says what the current mode is, "off," "on" and "auto." And the auto mode button is now a blue speaker instead of a red-ish colour.

I changed the text of the Input button from white to black. I think it now fits in better the the buttons directly above.

I changed the pan label text from white to black. Again, I think this fits in better and is still readable and of good contrast regardless of the colour of the tracks (based on my chose palette). And it enabled me to get rid of the background for that label as I thought it looked a bit naff.

Previously I hadn't sussed out where the background of the unlit meters was coming from and I was living with the slightly lighter shade of grey. Now I realise that the meter_strip_v.png and meter_clip_v.png images took care of that. I should have looked at that earlier but had other fish to fry. Now all of the area around the meter and volume fader are the same shade of grey.

One last thing, which I am not entirely sure about yet is, I have hidden the track ID number. For me, in both the Track Control Panel and the Mixer Control Panel that ID number wasn't telling me anything.

I have kept everything else with regards to the IDX element as I use that to tell me what tracks are selected. I have never liked the tinting of track colours when selecting them.

Here is how it is looking now:-

One thing that you may notice is that I don't go for a solid dark line which represents the slot behind the volume fader. I found that I didn't like the coloured tint that it was given when any envelope trim mode was set. That tinting went right across the width of the fader area whereas the option I have gone for, which is the "naked" version, just tints the slot itself.

For starters, I'm not sure why, but the position of the 1px border along the edge of a Mixer panel switched from the right hand side in the V5 default theme to the left hand side in the V6 default theme.

I like that border.

But when it is on the left hand side the last track doesn't have a border. And that was one gripe. And it took quite a while to fix too, having to change quite a few images and understanding how they worked and getting those pink lines right.

On the positive side, I learned a few more tricks yesterday which allowed me to simplify some of my elements. Nothing worth documenting here I don't think.

Here is how the MCP is currently looking:-

And the TCP:-

I actually like all those 1px borders now. I had added a 1px border around some of the buttons early on and I now think that having the 1px border around more of the different section like the meter and the effects/sends sections works much better now.

Regarding the Master track in the MCP, I have modified all those images to have a 1px border around the whole panel. I think it looks so much better now.

I think what I might do next is see if I can add a 1px border to the top of the Transport section...

Obviously still a very basic and flat theme but this has been my intention all along.

Please remember, this is a very simple implementation of REAPER. No "FLOW" for instance... This is a very fixed theme based on my own personal requirements.

What's next?

Well, I have been tweaking my little them as I was creating that document and learning new things. I have thought of some bits that I would like to "improve" or just change. So I might spend a little bit of time on that before getting back to Ambient Drones...